Stocks: 6 things to know before the bell

1. AT&T takeover trouble: Shares in AT&T(T, Tech30) and its takeover target, Time Warner(TWX), could be on the move Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to block the $ 85 billion acquisition.

The DOJ argues that the deal violates antitrust law because AT&T would likely “use its control of Time Warner’s popular programming as a weapon to harm competition.” Time Warner is the parent company of CNN.

The government alleges that the deal “would result in fewer innovative offerings and higher bills for American families.”

AT&T had been preparing for a legal challenge. It immediately disputed the government’s claims on Monday and said it will fight the case in court.

David McAtee II, AT&T’s general counsel, said in a statement: “Today’s DOJ lawsuit is a radical and inexplicable departure from decades of antitrust precedent. Vertical mergers like this one are routinely approved because they benefit consumers without removing any competitor from the market. We see no legitimate reason for our merger to be treated differently.”

“I’ve done a lot of deals in my career, but I’ve never done one where we have disagreed with the Department of Justice so much on even the most basic of facts,” Stephenson said Monday. “The rule of law is at issue here.”

3. Stocks in the spotlight — CBS, Dish, easyJet, Tencent: Investors will be monitoring a public spat between CBS(CBS) and Dish Network(DISH).

CBS warned Dish customers Monday of a blackout that could deprive viewers of NFL and college football games over Thanksgiving.

CBS said that “unless agreements are reached,” Dish viewers should be prepared to lose the network starting Monday at 11:59 p.m., MT. The two sides have been sparring over fees CBS wants from Dish for retransmission.

Dish responded by telling customers, “we are actively working to reach a fair deal before the contract expires knowing that only CBS can force a blackout of its channels.”

Shares in easyJet(ESYJY) were 5% higher in London trading as investors cheered the latest financial results from the budget airline.

Chinese social media giant Tencent(TCEHY) is garnering attention after the firm’s shares shot up by about 2%. The company’s market valuation has now eclipsed that of Facebook(FB, Tech30).